When paving highways with asphaltic mix, it is desirable to locate the storage apparatus for the mix as near as possible to the construction site so that the trucks which carry the mix to the site do not have to travel long distances. To meet this objective, storage apparatus of various configurations have been proposed which are highway transportable, and which permit the apparatus to be moved to the construction site, erected, and used, and then dismantled and moved to a different construction site. Most designs of the described apparatus include a main frame which supports the material container, and a wheeled carriage which permits the apparatus to be transported on a highway. Once the apparatus is at the construction site, a trench is prepared in the ground, and the apparatus is moved so that the wheels enter the trench. As a result, the main frame is lowered into ground engaging contact and so that it thereafter serves as a foundation pad.
A significant problem with the above construction is the fact that during the time the apparatus is in use at a particular site, which may extend for several months, the trenches become filled with dirt and debris around the wheels. As a result, it is extremely difficult to remove the apparatus from its lowered position when the job is completed and it is desired to move the apparatus to a new location.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a portable storage apparatus of the described type which avoids the above-noted problem associated with the removal of the apparatus from a construction site.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a portable storage apparatus of the described type which incorporates a relatively simple wheel mounting arrangement which permits the main frame to be lowered into ground engaging position without moving the wheels into a trench, and which also permits the main frame to be readily lifted from the ground when it is desired to move the apparatus along the highway to a new construction site.